This is an informal rundown of the legislative happenings. These bills are from the most recent legislative day – 2/11/21, or Day 16.
The House of Representatives passed the following measures:
HB 67 – Rep. Chuck Martin
LINK → https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/58880
WHAT THE BILL DOES:
- Extends the sunset on allowing USG to write off uncollectable debt
- (does not mean they don’t continue to attempt to collect, just write off from revenue over expenditures)
- Allows USG to carry over up to 3% & 15% of TCSG for budgeting predictability
- Both are asking for this to approved quickly because it impacts their budgeting process.
- Current extension expires in 2021, this adds another 5 years.
- CONCERN: No change in current practice.
PASSED: 171-0
HB 129 – Rep. Sam Watson
LINK → https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/58997
WHAT THE BILL DOES:
- Changes the salary range for Sheriffs with a population of 39,000 – 49,999
- Increases the minimum permissible salary from $79,762.39 to $83,750.51
CONCERN: Unless this is a revision from a mistake the legislature made in calculating COLA increases for Sheriff, this is unnecessary.
PASSED: 166-4 (4 No votes were Reps. Cannon, Davis, Dreyer, and Ngyuen)
HB 208 – Rep. Mike Cheokas
LINK → https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/59156
WHAT THE BILL DOES:
- Creates a new holiday for JROTC
- The second Wednesday of February of each year is designated as ‘National Swearing-in Commitment Day’ in Georgia.
CONCERN: None.
PASSED: 170-0
HB 246 – Rep. Sam Watson
LINK → https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/59232
WHAT THE BILL DOES:
- Increases the replacement fee for a permit or license
- $5 currently to $10
- Limited permit cost increasing from $25 to $32
CONCERN: Fee/fine/tax are all the same. A fee increase = tax increase.
PASSED: 153-17
The Senate passed the following measures:
SB 32 – Senator Matt Brass
LINK: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/59032
WHAT THE BILL DOES:
- Adds additional information to the list of items not eligible for release under the Georgia Open Records Act
- Adds personal cell phone numbers of individuals
- Clarifies that insurance information of public employees may not be released.
- Adds federal employees to the list of people exempt from having their information released under the Georgia Open Records Act.
Passed 48-0
SB 33 – Senator Clint Dixon
LINK: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/59057
WHAT THE BILL DOES:
- Allows a victim of human trafficking to bring a civil action against their ‘perpetrator’
- A civil action can be brought within 10 years of the act occurring or 10 years of the victim turning 18
- Statute of time for filing is stayed during pending criminal action
- Attorney General has ability to bring civil action against the person as well if the AG believes the citizens of the state were also harmed
Passed 50-0
SB 34 – Senator Clint Dixon
LINK: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/59058
WHAT THE BILL DOES:
- allows a victim of human trafficking to change their name under sealed records
- Currently only applies to victims of family violence
Passed 50-0
SB 86 – Senator Larry Walker
Link –> https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/59278
WHAT THE BILL DOES: “Fair Business Practices Act of 1975 “
- Requires that any document which solicits business related to corporate filings similar to those of government documents be marked in 16 pt size Helvetica font at least 2 inches from the rest of the solicitation language indicating that is is a solicitation and not authorized by the SOS
Passed 47-3 (Jones (25th), Jordan, and Merritt voting no)
